Marginalised communities struggle to reap benefits of economic growth

Marginalised communities in Bangladesh continue to lag behind in reaping the benefits of the country's economic progress, said economists and civil-society members at a programme on Monday.

They identified factors such as weak governance, inadequate policies and undue political interference in policy-implementation processes, along with the nation's democratic shortcomings, as key contributors to this persistent issue.

They recommended a focused approach to enhancing social and economic security for marginalised populations, ensuring programmes are protected from political influence, revamping education to nurture a skilled workforce and decentralising essential services.

These insights were shared during a dialogue on 'Bangladesh Development Narratives and Parallel Realities: Perspectives of Backward Communities', organised by the Citizen's Platform for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Bangladesh, at the KIB Convention Centre in Farmgate, Dhaka. The event also marked the unveiling of a book bearing the same title.

Founder Chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Professor Rehman Sobhan presided over the dialogue, while Convener of the Citizen Platform and CPD's Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya presented a keynote paper.

Core Group Member of Citizen's Platform and Managing Director of Apex Footwear Limited Syed Nasim Manzur, eminent human rights activist Advocate Sultana Kamal, Justice Md Abdul Mateen, eminent cultural personality Mamunur Rashid, writer Selina Hossain and Distinguished Fellow of CPD Professor Mustafizur Rahman spoke on the occasion.

Professor Rehman Sobhan said policymakers should properly listen to the voices of people from all walks of life, especially the marginalised ones. With economic growth, the country's budget is also swelling.

He said the resources should also be spent for the betterment of marginalised people, as infrastructure development alone cannot bring optimum benefit for the citizens.

"The resources are not properly used due to different types of problems like corruption, lack of good governance, as well as there is a democratic failure," said Prof Rehman Sobhan.

He commented that civil society has to play a crucial role in bringing about social changes and ensuring the voices of marginalised people are heard.

People have the right to get a job, as they are supposed to get education, which needs to be addressed by the stakeholders, he added.

Presenting the keynote, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said while poverty has declined significantly in the country since independence, income and consumption inequalities are increasing, as per the Household Income and Expenditure Survey.

"Income inequality -- measured by the Gini coefficient - rose by 9 per cent from 2010 to 2022, increasing more in urban areas while remaining stable in rural areas," he said.

These disparities are exacerbated by ongoing challenges stemming from the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, further marginalising vulnerable populations, he added.

Dr Debapriya said people from different strata of society face a wide range of problems, for which not only improper policies but also their poor implementation have been responsible.

"We need an answer to the issue of why proper policies -- in some cases -- also failed to address the needs of the country's people due to the adverse impact of politics," he said.

Syed Nasim Manzur said there is a direct relation between employment generation and the education system, which needs to be well-synchronised.

"We are now getting a higher number of graduates from universities than is necessary," he said, adding that the country needs more people educated in technical sectors.

The discussion is not new, but there is a social stigma against technical education, he said.

"The preference should be on acquiring skills -- which is now a basic right like that of education -- rather than just passing examinations." He also called for reforms in the informal sector and decentralisation away from Dhaka to create decent work opportunities across the country.

Mustafizur Rahman said the country now needs to move beyond average statistics as they don't reflect the real situation of marginalised people.

"When individual or microeconomic situations are taken into consideration, we can realise the presence of wealth inequality," he said, adding that even government data reveals such discrimination.

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